Mazda CX-9 to stay in PH despite US exit

Yes, you read that headline correctly.

Mazda will drop the CX-9 in the US market at the end of the 2023 model year. Its discontinuation will mark the nameplate's eventual 17-year run since it was first launched in the US back in 2006. With the CX-9 set to be discontinued, Mazda USA said that they will now focus on the CX-90 as the brand's large three-row luxury crossover.

But with Mazda USA giving up on the CX-9 by the end of the year, does this mean the automaker will also stop offering the three-row crossover in the Philippines?

Fortunately, the company shared with us that while the US market will no longer offer the CX-9, the three-row crossover will continue to be sold in the Philippines. With the CX-90 set to arrive in the Philippines later this year, we can expect both the CX-9 and larger CX-90 to co-exist in Mazda's lineup.

The first generation of the CX-9 was originally a product of the Ford-Mazda partnership. Its underpinnings and 3.5-liter Duratec V6 were sourced from Ford while its design was penned by Mazda. For the second generation, the CX-9 became a wholly Mazda product with its Kodo design language and turbocharged 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G engine that's also seeing use in other vehicles like the Mazda CX-5 Turbo AWD.

With the Mazda CX-9 to stay put in the Philippine market, we won't be surprised if Mazda will give the three-row crossover a refresh soon. Heck, we might also see Mazda develop the next-generation model in the near future.